While discussing the possible reasons behind it, Law and Whitaker remember the time Pete Sampras broke down in tears during the fifth set of his 1995 Australian Open quarter-final against Jim Courier. Sampras had stepped on court shortly after learning that his coach and friend Tim Gullikson had a brain tumour. It all became too much for him emotionally.

On The Tennis Podcast, comparisons are drawn between the two moments, with Law and Whitaker full of respect for the way both men laid their emotions bare. In this age of toxic masculinity, can Murray and Sampras serve as powerful symbols of male vulnerability?

Elsewhere, while Murray hogged the headlines in Washington, it was ultimately Alexander Zverev who won the title. Zverev is still officially considered part of the ATP World Tour’s #NextGen, but the way he brushed aside Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex De Minaur emphasised the superiority he has over his contemporaries. When will he start producing such dominant displays at Grand Slams? Law and Whitaker say he is physically ready.

On the women’ side, tribute is paid to Mihaela Buzarnescu. The Romanian spent ten fruitless years attempting to qualify for a WTA Tour event, but her perseverance is finally paying off. Her title victory in San Jose is covered.

San Jose also produced by far the most eye-catching scoreline of the week as Jo Konta thrashed Serena Williams 6-1, 6-0. What happened there? Is Konta back on the right path?

There’s also reaction to Donna Vekic’s tearful speech after losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova in Washington, as well as a quick look ahead to the Rogers Cup.

The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK.